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Although the U.S. Department of Agriculture stopped using its original food guide pyramid in favor of the new MyPlate in 2011, there are still many other food guide pyramids that use the same serving sizes recommended by the food pyramid. These include the Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight Pyramid, the Asian Diet Pyramid, the Latin American Diet Pyramid, the Vegetarian Food Guide Pyramid and the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid. The serving sizes used by these food pyramids are not necessarily the same as the portion sizes many people serve themselves.

Grains

In the grain group, a serving includes one slice of bread, 1 cup of cold cereal or a 1/2 cup of hot cereal, rice or pasta. To help you estimate servings, a rounded handful or a portion the size of a small fist is about the size of a 1/2-cup serving of hot cereal, rice or pasta, and a portion the size of a man's fist is about 1 cup.

Fruits and Vegetables

For fruits and vegetables, a serving consists of 3/4 cup of juice, 1/2 cup of chopped fruits or vegetables, 1 cup of leafy green vegetables or one medium piece of fruit. One cup of leafy green vegetables is about the size of a tennis ball held by a small hand.

Dairy

When it comes to dairy, 2 ounces of processed cheese, such as American cheese, 1 1/2 ounces of natural cheese, like cheddar or Swiss cheese, or 1 cup of yogurt or milk is a serving. Your thumb is about the size of 1 ounce of cheese.

Protein

For meats, fish and poultry, a serving is 2 to 3 ounces. To equal 1 ounce of meat, you can substitute 1/3 cup nuts, 1 egg, 2 tablespoons peanut butter or 1/2 cup of cooked dried beans. The size of a woman's palm is about the size of 3 ounces of meat and 1 ounce of nuts is a small handful.